Giving a helping hand
Here are some examples of the sort of things we can help fund.
Musical Instruments
Books
Art Materials
Sports Equipment
Student Accommodation
Travel Expenses
Am I eligible?
To be eligible for consideration for a grant you must be OFFICIALLY ENROLLED ON YOUR COURSE FOR THE 2024/25 ACADEMIC YEAR and:
- Be aged over 16 and under 25;
- Have been resident in Northampton for at least the last five years (Northampton postcodes NN1-NN5 fall within the eligibility criteria. If you reside within an NN6 postcode, please email STW@hcrlaw.com to confirm eligibility. Postcodes beyond NN6 are not eligible);
- Be in education attending sixth form at school or attend an accredited college or University or be doing part-time vocational training;
- Be able to provide an official document confirming the course you are undertaking for the current academic year to support your request for a grant;
- Be applying for your first grant, if you are a student at school or college. The Trustees now only award one grant to students at school or in further education (A-levels / level 3 etc)
- Be a university / higher education student fully enrolled on your course for the relevant academic year. Please note: an offer of place / UCAS offer / ID Card / Student Finance Letters or Acceptance Letters are NOT proof of enrolment. You must wait until you are officially enrolled on your course before applying.
How does it work?
Step 1
Answer the simple pre-approval questions to start your application.
Step 2
You can complete the application online. If you are unable to complete the application online please email STW@hcrlaw.com and request assistance. The charity is here to help and aim to support all students.
Step 3
Ensure that you upload your ‘proof of enrolment’ document, confirming that you are enrolled on the course that you are seeking a grant to support. Please note: a UCAS offer letter, or email confirming a place offer is not sufficient proof that you have commenced your studies on your stated course.
Step 4
The Trustees will assess your application at the Sir Thomas White Charity Grants Sub-Committee which meets three times a year. At present the meetings are held in February, October and November.
Important information
Forms need to be submitted no later than two weeks before each meeting and be accompanied by a formal PROOF OF ENROLMENT confirming you are enrolled on your course for the 2024/25 Academic Year. Proof of Enrolment is provided by the institution you are attending and offer letters / Student Loan letters/Student ID cards/UCAS letters / acceptance letters ARE NOT ACCEPTED by the charity as proof of enrolment on the course. If you have not enrolled for the 2024/25 Academic Year please do not submit an application as it will be rejected. Please apply to a later meeting, once enrolled on your course.
Please click here to view a sample of the Proof of Enrolment document that is required.
Please note: If you miss the deadline (28 January 25) for the February meeting your application will not be reviewed, and you will have to reapply once enrolled on your course for the following academic year (i.e. after September 2025).
The Trustees are currently receiving a record number of applications, and have had to make the difficult decision to review the grants they award.
The Trustees have agreed that students at school may now only apply for one grant of £300 to cover their two year A Level courses. If you have already received a grant of £300, you may next apply when you go into further or higher education.
If agreed, your application will go to be approved by the full meeting of the Trustees. Normally you should hear within 4 weeks if your application has been successful
Grants will be paid by cheque and not by bank transfer. The cheque will be made payable to the name provided on the application form. Please ensure that you provide your full name, and that this matches the name your bank account is held in.
Grant cheques will be sent by post, to the Northampton address provided in your application. The charity is unable to send cheques to student accommodation except in very exceptional circumstances.
Please note that in considering applications:
The Trustees have complete rights to select a candidate for a grant. The Trustees may check to see that the student does attend their course. The Trustees will also take into account the overall amount of funds available to them for grants and the grants awarded may be less than expected.